My financial adviser has requested my Shirley law firm’s panel member for the Nat West conveyancing panel. What is the best way to find this out. I have tried my local Shirley office but they don't know it.
Have you tried speaking to your Shirley solicitor about this?. They maintain a central record lender panel numbers.
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Shirley. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
Most lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.
I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in September 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Nottingham are being pedantic. The Shirley solicitor who is on the Nottingham conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Nottingham are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Nottingham have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Nottingham have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Nottingham may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
I've digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Shirley solicitor - who is on the Principality conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Principality will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Principality will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your conveyancer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Shirley postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Principality, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Shirley.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Shirley?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Shirley. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
How does conveyancing in Shirley differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Shirley approach us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is ready to move into. This is because developers in Shirley typically acquire the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Shirley or who has acted in the same development.
Am I better off to use a Shirley conveyancing lawyer who is local to the property I am purchasing? I have an old university friend who can conduct the conveyancing however her office is approximately 350miles drive away.
The primary upside of using a local Shirley conveyancing firm is that you can pop in to execute documents, present your ID and apply pressure on them if necessary. They will also have local insight which is a plus. However it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust used your friend and they were content that must surpass using an unfamiliar Shirley conveyancing solicitor just because they are based in the area.
Last November I purchased a leasehold flat in Shirley. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?
Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Shirley. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium due for the purchase of the freehold?
Most definitely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Shirley conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Shirley flat is 29 Woodstock Road in April 2014. the Tribunal determined that the premiums to be paid into court in respect of the purchase of the freehold registered at HMLR under Title N0.SY3997 should be £7,217. This case related to 4 flats. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 98 years.